ple are distanced from food sources. Once you learn that sheep love to be petted and pigs like belly rubs, you know an animal as an individual. The best way to help is to share informa- tion, farm animal videos and plant- based recipes, so people can see that going meatless is about far more than just eating produce.” Musician Sir Paul McCartney,


author of The Meat Free Monday Cookbook, took the message to schools in 2012. Now students around the world participate in meat-free lunch programs. The adult initiative of going meatless for one or more days extends to 35 countries on six continents. Pigs, cows, horses, peacocks and


an alpaca live in harmony at local non- profit Cracker Box Palace Farm Animal Haven, in Alton, New York (CrackerBox Palace.org), which spurs recovery from illness, neglect or abuse. “People get animals without doing research on their care or habits. That’s how we got the peacocks—they have a bloodcurdling scream,” says Farm Manager Cheri Roloson, who rents out their goats as nature’s landscapers to clear brush. Mistreated animals also provide


therapy for returning military veterans and abused children at Ranch Hand Rescue, in Argyle, Texas (RanchHand Rescue.org). Kids find it easier to talk about their experiences with an ani- mal that has also endured cruel treat- ment, like Spirit, a horse that received precedent-setting surgery to repair a leg that had improperly healed after being broken by a baseball bat. Conscious chicken farms, too, are making an impact. “Chickens can be well-treated and have a healthy, decent life,” says Jason Urena, market- ing manager with NestFresh, which operates 20 small farms and five processing plants, concentrated in Colorado, Iowa, Illinois, Wiscon- sin and Texas to reduce its carbon footprint (Nest- Fresh.com).


Starting with cage-free hens,


“Pets are considered


property, and until that changes, it’s harder to make a difference. Farm animals have no rights at all. Animals are


sentient beings with rights commensurate with the ability to feel pain and even be valued members


of the family. They deserve far more than a property classification.”


~Diane Sullivan, assistant dean and professor, Massachusetts School of Law


the Denver company grew based on nationwide customer requests for certified cage- free, free-range, organic, pasture- raised and non-GMO (genetically modified) eggs. “We’re the first in the country to offer certified non-GMO eggs,” attests Urena.


He explains that in the process for certification, feed is inspected at every step, from planting seed (usually corn or soy) to storage in silos and mill grinding, to allow traceability for potential prob- lems and avoid cross-contamination.


Wildlife Habitat


Preservation There are few places on Earth that hu- mans haven’t impacted fragile ecosys- tems. Loss of habitat and lack of food sources are


critical issues. Bats


are a bellwether for the impact on wildlife from human-induced diseases. The Wildlife Conservation Society studies


the loons in New York’s Adirondack Mountains to monitor their exposure to disease and pollution. The mission of the National


Wildlife Federation (NWF) is to use conservation and education to protect present and future wildlife. Of the 410- plus species of mammals in the United States, 80 are on the endangered spe- cies list, reminiscent of the bison that used to number in the millions, but now mostly exist in small bands on private and public lands.


NWF aims to build on the bison


restoration efforts achieved to date (now numbering tens of thousands) by reintroducing them onto more public lands, reservations and pro- tected habitats, and like- wise build up popula- tions of other wild threatened and endangered animals. Its


programs feature green


corridors to give native species a home and migrating species a rest stop.


“The important message is not


how many species have gone off the list, but how many didn’t go extinct,” says David Mizejewski, a celebrity


What You Can Do


4 Volunteer to walk a dog, foster a cat, make phone calls or help with shelter paperwork.


4 Spay/neuter pets and consider adopting before shopping at a pet store.


4 Donate to support rehabilitation of an abused animal.


4 Pick up litter, especially harmful in and near waterways.


4 Be a conscious consumer and don’t let factory farm prices influence decisions.


4 Tell companies what is accept- able or not via purchases, emails and phone calls.


4 Lobby politicians to support worthy animal causes.


natural awakenings March 2015 17


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